Be a Home to Your Homeless Heart
by Full-RoseBell-Kuchiki
Summary: SALAI FIC!  Despite all his one night stands and Leonardo, Salai has one constant loving relationship, his bar maid.
1. Lonesome Stranger

**With Special thanks to Emilija and Giacomo, without whom this story wouldn't have been inspired 3**

_"Lonesome stranger, with a crowd around you, I see who you are."_

She sat watching the game unfold, there was much laughing and cheering, goading and jeering. Gambling interested her very little but she enjoyed watching the interactions, sitting on of of many barrels in the corner and sketching away, not for following dreams of being an artist but rather just for the sheer enjoyment of recording these scences and it's characters.

Like the rest of the bar maids when one particular pratron joined the game she stopped to watch. This young man entralled her with his sheer beauty, his skin was pale like the moon's rays and his hair was a thick, curled, neat mane of strawberry blond locks. His blue water eyes were always sparkling with life and looking for something that wasn't nailed down to steal or just a way to cause trouble in general. It was well known that he was an artist's model and it was well known that he was just as loose as his grasp on money. It was through these rumours-that were founded on truths- that her father tried to prevent her from socialising with him as much as he could, and like her sisters were encouraged not to chat with him at the bar. This did not please her at all, she was almost as unruly and spirited as him.

"Salai! Two more?"

" Si, cara!"

"Coming up!"

Smiling over to him, and getting behind the bar.

"Put it on my tab!"

"You know you're not supposed to add any more drinks to it, Papa will break your legs."

"Please, bella, just this one time?" He smiles sweetly, as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

"I suppose this once won't hurt..."

"You coming out tonight?"

"No...Papa isn't letting us out anymore. Our friends he approves of are only allowed over for an hour."

"Then I'll just have to come over" He smirks devilishly "His face will be priceless!"

She laughs handing over the drinks to him, shaking her head.

"I'm telling you, you are going to get me into so much trouble."

"Life is too short to be good all the time, cara! You need to live it! Be bad!"


	2. You joke, They laugh

_'You joke, they laugh til the show is over,Then you fall so hard"_

The laughter faded one person at a time, as they staggered out, off home, either with their partner or the courtesan they had picked up for the night. Salai was still being chatted up some of the male talent that was left and he seemed less than impressed even in his intoxicated state, he looked quite bored in fact,probably having had them all before, idly he looked over the near empty tavern and sighed heavily,pulling a face.

A youthful dark haired man whispered something into Salai's ear and he turned to look him in the eye with a slightly disgruntled expression.

"I think you'll find that in the stables,my friend,along with your mother's knickers!"

The group of young men burst into laughter, pointing and jeering at their friend. Salai's eyes came back to glittering life and he jumped up and struted along the room alittle then, stopping ans turning on his toes on the spot.

"And maybe you could ask your Father for my belt back for me? Or is that an extra 50 florins?"

The tavern erupted once more, the flirt got up in anger and walked out past Salai who had a smug little grin sitting perfectly on his lips. After twirling round on his toes and seeing off the unwanted flirt he settled down to another drink, curled up in his chair next to the fire, his face seemed to change slightly, almost infathomable, deep in thought,staring to the bottom of the flagen. The glow of the fire in the hearth illuminated his firey locks, giving it a life all of it's own as every movement of his head made the thick curls dance and bounce even coiling more like golden red snakes. As the glow died and only the embers crackled his hair returned back to being inanimate curtains of heavy hair, the kind you wanted to run your fingers through.

He sat slumped over, head rested on his arm as he sat and impassively watched the coaster he was making dance in his other hand. Looking at the time peice she could see it was well past last orders and already her father had battened down the hatches, and had already instructed his daughters to get rid of the pretty little pest. Her sisters had both decided they weren't leaving at this time of night and that he was on his own. This displeased her greatly, knowing full well that Salai would go along with anything if there was a promise of some pleasure, and there were a lot of dirty men in the area, having said that she regarded his relationship with the maestro Leonardo with some suspision, such was her nature,but he was a good an, and never could she see signs of him mistreating her friend.

Finishing washing down the counter of the bar she looked to her younger sister who were already heading up stairs.

"You take him home and you'll be getting looked out."

"I'm not letting him walk home alone."

"Then I hope it's not too cold tonight."

"Why you got to be like that?"

"Why do you have to be so concerned about that little slut?"

"You're starting to sound like our father. Never mind, I'm sure Maestro will allow me to stay the night..."

"Father is going to wear you out."

"I'll tell him that you locked us out."

"You've always had to be the difficult one."

"Just go to bed if you're going."

Turning her back to the annoying welp of her sister she walked towards Salai and placed a hand gently on the shoulder. He looked up sleepily, his curls cascading over her hnad and falling round his face. Her soft smile brought a matching smirk to his lips.

"It's time to go home Salai..."

" meh...I don't wanna..." He got up anyway, a little wobbly and grabbed her shoulder. "You're swaying around too much...hash you been drinking?"

"No...you have."

"Oh...makes sense now." He smiled with a toothy grin and started to weave wobbly between the tables and to the door,, she followed smirking shaking her head. Salai was always a cute drunk with flushed chheks. But it was obvious that this five minuet walk was going to extended by quick a bit, least it was a good night, a calm sweet summer.


	3. If You're needing a soultosoul

_"If you're needing a soul-to-soul connection I'll run to your side"_

She wsan't too sure if it was the summer night air, or walking hand and hand with Salai as he staggered about giggling,he'd turn every now and again and grin warmly at her, making fishy lips and asking

"giff ush a kish"

before licking her face and cackling like a mad man, but her cheeks flushed with a warm pink glow. She had always admired this male beauty from a far but now he was licking her face and groping at her chest, she was used to it by the time they had went up the first street, apparently the fleshy lumps had transformed into glorious mounds of soft "ossim" as he said it in his drunken state. He hummed and sang to himself her blush deepened, heart raced yet a slight pan of sadness stabbed in the back of her mind, they were only two streets and one turn of the corner away from Leonardo's workshop home. Lost in thought and various versions to record this in her sketch book come journal she hadn't noticed Salai leading her off into an alcove in one of the walls. It wasn't untill his hands were on either side of her head and his lips a mere inch from hers did she realise what was happening, his arms slid down and wrapped round her waste bringing her body in closer to his and then pressing his lips to hers were so soft. Her eyes widened in shock before her lids fell slowly heavy , holding the front of collar, the soft fur cool to the touch, then broke away softly blushing.

Salai softly took her hand again, in that hazy place between being hung over and still being drunk. Turning,walking backwards he watched her as she tried to look anywhere but to him.

"Lily?"

"Si...?"

"Why you no look at meeeee..."

"Sorry..." She turned to look at him, cheeks still red.

"you like...with the panda hat..." He went into a fit of giggles and ran behind her,grabbing her round the waist and squeezing her like a doll. Struggling to stay on the ground she squirmed and shuffled on wards, It seemed the closer they got to Leonardo's door the more Salai began to sobber up. Perhaps his drunkeness was all an act, but why would he kiss her like that, a girl? Surely he just must have perfected the art of pretending not to be a intoxicated as he was.

He cautiously open the latch of the door, it was unlocked and he slipped in, pulling her inside before the door closed behind. As soon as it snibbed shut he pushed her against the door, proceeding to plumber her mouth, pausing and tensing up as they heard Leonardo stirr up soon as the danger of Leonardo coming downstairs passed,he swept her other to the sofa,pushing sketches and notes off and onto the floor, the brew mingled with his sweet breath, it was enough to orb any woman or man of their senses, to just go along with it, become a doll for him to play with. Looking up into his eyes she found herself transfixed, biting her lip, he stroked her face, searching hers for some reason,some answer as to why they were here like this. Her eyes misted up as his hand slid up her legs and he brushed her thigh with his thumb.

"Lily...?"

"Si?"

"Do you care about me...?"

"Very much so..."

He leaned over, hovering between her legs and kisses her much harder than before, then looked up and reached over to the small table by the side and blew out the candle...


	4. If you're lost in the dark

It was the sounds of the first of the wives heading off to morning market that woke her. It was an unfamiliar place, it was someone's sofa, sitting up and a warm heavy tunic slid off her shoulders, looking down, Salai was sleeping out stretched along the sofa on the floor in his shirt. Leonardo was standing over at the door looking quite grave, instinctually Lily looked down at herself, she was dressed thankfully.

"Unusual of Salai to bring home a girl…"

"Ah, Good morning Maestro Leonardo." She smiled "This…I…there is a good reason for this!"

"Si si…Salai said when I came down in the small hours. Grazie"

"Uh? For what?"

"For bringing him home safely."

"Prego...sorry for staying over night."

"He explained."

"Ah, good...sorry...I didn't mean for it to be so late."

"Late? It was early for him."

"Oh"

It wasn't till Salai started making odd noises on the floor that broke the awkward conversation. Looking down she watched Salai roll on his back and strech and yawn, she smiled back as he smiles up at her, and handed down his tunic. He sat up slowly and pulled it back on, not looking too healthy, groaning then got up. Wobbling out of the room, she watched till he couldn't be seen any longer, a slight sinking in her heart. Leonardo looked down at her and offered his hand.

"I shall walk you back."

"Grazie."

The walk back was stiflingly quiet, Leonardo did not talk much and was steering any conversation further and further away from his model, it annoyed her in truth. But he left her at her door, thanked her again and her father, who as soon as he left dragged her inside and gave her the belt several times, the great big brute of a man hollered and yelled and screamed in the girl's ear, calling Lily every little whore under the sun, screaming more about running with Salai. Her two sisters hid behind the bar, hands clasped over their ears blocking it out, by the time he was done already her head was bleeding badly.

~xxXxx~

When Leonardo had returned,Salai was already washed and dressed for today, siting on the table in the workshop doodling with a cheeky little smirk. Leonardo's hand wiped it right off his face.

"Don't you ever see her again, you hear me! If I ever hear of it again, If I so much as see you look at her!"

The furious Artist stormed off, out of the sat there,holding his cheek in one hand and string out afer his maestro, in shock. He had no idea what he done wrong. He was kind and polite offering her a place for the night.

~xxXxx~

That night Lily was no where to be seen, Salai waited long after closing time, hiding behind the house in the shadows. When he was sure everyone had gone to bed, he picked up three smooth stones, throwing them one at a time, they hit off the window with a satisfying clunk. He waited with baited breath.

Finally she opened the window, the shadows of the moon hid her face from view. Seeped in shadow lurked deep purple and blue bruises, trimmed with violent was glad he could not see her.

"Lily? Lily? Hey Lily? That you?"

"Yes? What is it?" There was a sense of great urgency on her voice, it hissed through the night air.

"Where were you?"

"In my room."

"Where you ill?"

"No...no Salai just get out of here before Papa wakes...go!"

"... Va bene..." He gave a small sad little wave. She sighed, waving back.


End file.
